U.S. patent number 10,071,530 [Application Number 15/815,334] was granted by the patent office on 2018-09-11 for collapsible element pocket former.
The grantee listed for this patent is Felix Sorkin. Invention is credited to Felix Sorkin.
United States Patent |
10,071,530 |
Sorkin |
September 11, 2018 |
Collapsible element pocket former
Abstract
A pocket former may include a pocket former body, the pocket
former body having an outer surface. The pocket former may further
include a collapsible element, the collapsible element formed on
the outer surface of the pocket former body. The collapsible
element may extend radially outwardly from the pocket former
body.
Inventors: |
Sorkin; Felix (Stafford,
TX) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Sorkin; Felix |
Stafford |
TX |
US |
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Family
ID: |
57943566 |
Appl.
No.: |
15/815,334 |
Filed: |
November 16, 2017 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20180072006 A1 |
Mar 15, 2018 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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15226487 |
Aug 2, 2016 |
9827721 |
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62200966 |
Aug 4, 2015 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B28B
7/303 (20130101); B29C 70/541 (20130101); E04G
21/12 (20130101); E04C 5/163 (20130101); B28B
7/306 (20130101); E04C 5/122 (20130101); A61K
31/337 (20130101); E04C 5/12 (20130101); B28B
1/14 (20130101); E04C 5/076 (20130101); E04C
5/125 (20130101); E04G 2021/128 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B29C
70/54 (20060101); E04C 5/16 (20060101); B28B
1/14 (20060101); B28B 7/30 (20060101); E04C
5/12 (20060101); E04C 5/07 (20060101); E04G
21/12 (20060101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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8108672 |
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Jul 1981 |
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DE |
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3123641 |
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Mar 1982 |
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DE |
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2012202069 |
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Oct 2012 |
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JP |
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Primary Examiner: Figueroa; Adriana
Assistant Examiner: Fonseca; Jessie T
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Locklar; Adolph
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a divisional application which claims priority
from U.S. utility application Ser. No. 15/226,487, filed Aug. 2,
2016 which is itself a nonprovisional application that claims
priority from U.S. provisional application No. 62/200,966, filed
Aug. 4, 2015, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its
entirety.
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A pocket former comprising: a pocket former body, the pocket
former body having an outer surface and including at least one
pocket former bridge oriented longitudinally along the pocket
former body; and a collapsible element, the collapsible element
formed on the outer surface of the pocket former body, the
collapsible element extending radially outwardly from the pocket
former body; wherein the at least one pocket former bridge is less
thick than the rest of the pocket former body so that upon the
application of a force on the collapsible element, the at least one
pocket former bridge breaks such that the pocket former body
separates into two or more segments.
2. The pocket former of claim 1, wherein the pocket former body is
tapered from a pocket former outer edge to a pocket former inner
edge.
3. The pocket former of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the
pocket former body includes textured surfaces, ridges, grooves,
recesses, or protrusions.
4. The pocket former of claim 1, wherein the collapsible element
has an exterior surface and wherein the exterior surface of the
collapsible element has a curved profile.
5. The pocket former of claim 4, wherein the collapsible element
has a cross-sectional angle .alpha. and a longitudinal angle
.beta., and wherein the cross-sectional angle .alpha. is smaller
than the longitudinal angle .beta..
6. The pocket former of claim 1, wherein the pocket former body
further comprises a flex feature.
7. The pocket former of claim 1 wherein upon the application of a
force on the collapsible element, the at least one pocket former
bridge breaks such that the pocket former body separates into two
or more longitudinal segments.
8. A pocket former comprising: a pocket former body, the pocket
former body having an outer surface, the pocket former body having
a first portion and a second portion and including at least one
pocket former bridge oriented longitudinally along the pocket
former body; and a collapsible element, the collapsible element
flexibly coupled to the first portion and the second portion of the
pocket former body; wherein the at least one pocket former bridge
is less thick than the rest of the pocket former body so that upon
the application of a force on the collapsible element, the at least
one pocket former bridge breaks such that the pocket former body
separates into two or more segments.
9. The pocket former of claim 8 wherein upon the application of a
force on the collapsible element, the at least one pocket former
bridge breaks such that the pocket former body separates into two
or more longitudinal segments.
10. A pocket former comprising: a pocket former body; a collapsible
element; and a spring mechanism, the spring mechanism mechanically
connected to the collapsible element and the pocket former body,
wherein the spring mechanism comprises: a connecting member, the
connecting member mechanically attached or formed integrally with a
pivot and wherein the connecting member mechanically connects to
the collapsible element; and a spring, wherein the spring connects
the pivot to the pocket former body.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD/FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
The present disclosure relates generally to post-tensioned,
prestressed concrete construction. The present disclosure relates
specifically to methods and apparatuses for forming a pocket in a
post-tensioned, prestressed concrete member.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
Many structures are built using concrete, including, for instance,
buildings, parking structures, apartments, condominiums, hotels,
mixed-use structures, casinos, hospitals, medical buildings,
government buildings, research/academic institutions, industrial
buildings, malls, roads, bridges, pavement, tanks, reservoirs,
silos, sports courts, and other structures.
Prestressed concrete is structural concrete in which internal
stresses are introduced to reduce potential tensile stresses in the
concrete resulting from applied loads; prestressing may be
accomplished by post-tensioned prestressing or pre-tensioned
prestressing. In post-tensioned prestressing, a tension member is
tensioned after the concrete has attained a desired strength by use
of a post-tensioning tendon. The post-tensioning tendon may include
for example and without limitation, anchor assemblies, the tension
member, and sheathes. Traditionally, a tension member is
constructed of a material that can be elongated and may be a single
or a multi-strand cable. Typically, the tension member may be
formed from a metal or composite material, such as reinforced
steel. The post-tensioning tendon conventionally includes an anchor
assembly at each end. The post-tensioning tendon is fixedly coupled
to a fixed anchor assembly positioned at one end of the
post-tensioning tendon, the "fixed-end", and stressed at the
stressed anchor assembly positioned at the opposite end of the
post-tensioning tendon, the "stressing-end" of the post-tensioning
tendon.
A pocket former may be used to prevent or restrict concrete from
filling in the area between the stressing-end anchor and the
concrete form used to form the concrete member to allow access to
the stressing-end of the tendon once the concrete member is poured.
As understood in the art, the concrete form is a form or mold into
which concrete is poured or otherwise introduced to give shape to
the concrete member as it sets or hardens, thus forming the
concrete member. Once the concrete has sufficiently hardened and
the concrete form is removed, the pocket former is removed from the
concrete member. In certain conventional uses, pocket formers are
frustoconical in shape to facilitate removal from the concrete
member. Conventionally, once the tendon is stressed, the pocket
formed by the pocket former is filled with a material such as a
cementitious grout or concrete to, for example, provide fire
protection and corrosion protection.
SUMMARY
The present disclosure provides for a pocket former. The pocket
former includes a pocket former body, the pocket former body having
an outer surface. The pocket former further includes a collapsible
element, the collapsible element formed on the outer surface of the
pocket former body. The collapsible element extends radially
outwardly from the pocket former body.
The disclosure also provides for a pocket former. The pocket former
includes a pocket former body, the pocket former body having an
outer surface. The pocket former body has an inner portion and an
outer portion. The pocket former also includes a collapsible
element, the collapsible element flexibly coupled to the inner
portion and the outer portion of the pocket former body.
The disclosure additionally provides for a pocket former. The
pocket former includes a pocket former body, the pocket former body
having an outer surface. The pocket former also includes a
collapsible element, the collapsible element pivotably coupled to
the pocket former body.
The present disclosure also provides for a method of forming a
post-tensioned concrete member. The method includes positioning a
post-tensioning tendon within a concrete form, the post-tensioning
tendon including a tension member, fixed anchor, and a stressing
end anchor. The method also includes positioning a pocket former
between the stressing end anchor and the concrete form. The pocket
former includes a pocket former body, the pocket former body having
an outer surface. The pocket former body has a tension member
channel therethrough. The pocket former also includes a collapsible
element, the collapsible element formed on the outer surface of the
pocket former body. The collapsible element extends radially
outwardly from the pocket former body. The method additionally
includes inserting the tension member through the tension member
channel of the pocket former body and placing concrete into the
concrete form such that the post-tensioning tendon and the pocket
former are encased in the concrete. The method includes applying
force to the pocket former body and collapsing the collapsible
element into the pocket former body. The method also includes
forming a cavity within the concrete by removing the pocket former
body from the concrete.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present disclosure is best understood from the following
detailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It is
emphasized that, in accordance with the standard practice in the
industry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the
dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or
reduced for clarity of discussion.
FIGS. 1A, 1B depict a partial cross section of a post-tensioning
tendon within a concrete form during stages of a concrete pouring
procedure consistent with embodiments of the present
disclosure.
FIGS. 1C-1E depict an anchor consistent during stages of a concrete
pouring procedure consistent with embodiments of the present
disclosure.
FIGS. 2A, 2B depict a pocket former consistent with embodiments of
the present disclosure.
FIGS. 3A, 3B depict a pocket former consistent with embodiments of
the present disclosure.
FIG. 4 depicts a cross section of a pocket former consistent with
embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 5 depicts a cross section of a pocket former consistent with
embodiments of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
It is to be understood that the following disclosure provides many
different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different
features of various embodiments. Specific examples of components
and arrangements are described below to simplify the present
disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not
intended to be limiting. In addition, the present disclosure may
repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples.
This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and
does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various
embodiments and/or configurations discussed.
When stressing concrete member 40, anchoring systems may be
provided to hold the tension member before and after stressing. In
some embodiments, as depicted in FIGS. 1A, 1B, post-tensioning
tendon 11 may be positioned within concrete form 21. Concrete form
21 is a form into which concrete may be poured to form concrete
member 40. Post-tensioning tendon 11 may include for example and
without limitation fixed end anchor 13, tension member 15, and
stressing end anchor 17. In some embodiments, post-tensioning
tendon 11 may also include a sheath positioned about tension member
15 and one or more seals between the sheath and fixed end anchor
13, stressing end anchor 17. The sheath and seals may, for example,
protect tension member 15 from corrosion after concrete 23 (shown
in FIG. 1B) is poured. Additionally, the sheath and seals may, for
example, prevent or retard concrete from ingressing into tension
member 15 and preventing or retarding the tensioning of tension
member 15. In some embodiments, a seal for fixed end anchor 13 may
be omitted. Fixed-end anchor body 14 may be positioned within
concrete form 21 such that fixed-end anchor 13 will be encased in
concrete 23 after concrete is poured into concrete form 21. In some
embodiments, fixed end cap 19 may be positioned at distal end 41 of
fixed end anchor 13. Fixed end cap 19 may, in certain embodiments,
protect tension member 15 from corrosion after concrete 23 is
poured by preventing or retarding corrosive or reactive fluids or
concrete from contacting tension member 15.
Pocket former 100 may be positioned between stressing end anchor
body 18 and end wall 22 of concrete form 21. Pocket former 100 may
prevent or restrict concrete 23 from filling the space between
stressing end anchor 17 and end wall 22, thus forming a cavity or
pocket in edge 42 of concrete member 40 formed by concrete 23
within concrete form 21. Pocket former 100 may thus allow access to
tension member 15 from outside concrete member 40 once concrete
member 40 is sufficiently hardened and end wall 22 is removed.
In some embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 1C, pocket former 100 may
include pocket former body 101. In some embodiments, pocket former
body 101 may include a coupler for coupling pocket former 100 to
stressing end anchor 17. In some embodiments, pocket former body
101 may be hollow. In some embodiments, pocket former body 101 may
include tension member channel 111 through which tension member 15
may pass when pocket former 100 is installed onto stressing end
anchor 17. In some embodiments, pocket former body 101 may be a
cylindrical or generally cylindrical member. Pocket former body 101
may be any shape suitable for providing a pocket in concrete 23 to
allow access to the end of tension member 15 including, but not
limited to, cylindrical, frustoconical, prismatoidal, ellipsoidal,
or any combination thereof. Additionally, the cross-sectional shape
of pocket former body 101 may be any shape including, but not
limited to, square, round, oblong, ovate, ellipsoidal, triangular,
polyhedral, or any combination thereof. As depicted in FIGS. 1C-E,
pocket former body 101 may be frustoconical or otherwise tapered
from pocket former outer edge 125 to pocket former inner edge 130.
In some embodiments, by tapering pocket former body 101 from pocket
former outer edge 125 to pocket former inner edge 130, removal of
pocket former body 101 from concrete 23 may be accomplished more
easily than a non-tapered pocket former body. As depicted in FIG.
1D, when pocket former body 101 is removed from concrete 23 (once
concrete 23 has reached a sufficient strength), cavity 101' is
formed in concrete 23. The shape of cavity 101' may correspond with
the outside shape of pocket former body 101.
In some embodiments, pocket former 100 may further include one or
more collapsible elements 103. "Collapsible element," as used
herein, refers to an attachment to or integrally formed part of
pocket former body 101 that collapses inward towards a pocket
former body 101, such as shown in FIG. 1D, or pocket former
interior, such as pocket former interior 230, as shown in FIG. 2B,
when placed under compressive force. Collapsible elements may be
formed from such materials as plastic or metal. Non-limiting
examples of collapsible elements are described hereinbelow.
As depicted in FIGS. 1C-E, in some embodiments, collapsible element
103 may be formed on outer surface 120 of pocket former body 101.
As depicted in FIGS. 1C-E, collapsible element 103 may extend
radially outwardly from pocket former body 101. As depicted in FIG.
1D, when pocket former 100 is removed from concrete 23, collapsible
element 103 may collapse, compress, or otherwise deform towards
pocket former body 101, allowing pocket former 100 to be removed
from concrete 23. After removal of pocket former 100, keyway 103'
may be formed in concrete 23 corresponding with the outside shape
of pocket former body 101 and collapsible element 103. As shown in
FIG. 1D, keyway 103' is a cavity within concrete 23.
With further direction to FIGS. 1C-E, in some embodiments, once
pocket former body 101 and collapsible element 103 are removed from
concrete 23, tension member 15 may be placed under tensile stress.
In some embodiments, stressing end anchor 17 may allow tension
member 15 to extend and be stressed against fixed end anchor 13,
while preventing or restricting retraction of tension member 15
once tension member 15 is stressed. In some embodiments, tension
member 15 may be cut to length such that tension member 15 does
not, for example, extend beyond edge 42 of concrete 23. In some
embodiments, once tension has been applied to tension member 15,
cavity 101' and keyway 103' may, as depicted in FIG. 1E, be filled
with filling material 105. Filling material 105 may be grout, a
cementitious chloride-free grout, or concrete. In some embodiments,
a stressed end cap may be installed over end 35 of tension member
15 to prevent or restrict filling material 105 from entering
stressing end anchor 17 and tension member 15. In some embodiments,
keyway 103' may provide more surface area than in concrete 23
without keyway 103' and/or one or more locking features into which
filling material 105 may be placed, thus preventing or restricting
filling material 105 from delaminating or otherwise detaching from
or moving relative to concrete 23. In some embodiments, locking
features may include, for example and without limitation, textured
surfaces, ridges, grooves, recesses, or protrusions from or into
concrete 23 adapted to prevent movement of filling material 105
relative to concrete 23. Such locking features may be formed, for
example and without limitation, by textured surfaces, ridges,
grooves, recesses, or protrusions formed on outer surface 120 of
pocket former body 101.
FIGS. 1A-E depict embodiments in which collapsible element 103 is
at least partially annular and triangular in cross section, thus
forming keyway 103' that is generally annular and triangular.
In some embodiments, pocket former body 101 may be formed from a
rigid material capable of retaining its shape when concrete 23 is
poured. In some embodiments, collapsible element 103 may be formed
from an elastic or pliable material that may allow collapsible
element 103 to deform, thus allowing easier removal from concrete
23 than if collapsible element 103 were rigid. In some embodiments,
collapsible element 103 may be formed from multiple subcomponents.
In some such embodiments, portions of collapsible element 103 may
be formed from a rigid material, while other portions are formed
from a more pliable material.
In some embodiments, as depicted in FIGS. 2A, 2B, pocket former 200
may include collapsible elements 203 and pocket former body 201.
Pocket former body 201 may include pocket former first portion 207
and pocket former second portion 209. Collapsible elements 203 may
couple between pocket former first portion 207 and pocket former
second portion 209. In some embodiments, pocket former 200 may be
formed by injection molding. In some embodiments, collapsible
element 203 may be flexibly coupled to pocket former body 201 such
that upon removal from concrete 23, collapsible elements 203 may
collapse, compress, or otherwise deform inward to form collapsible
element keyway 222 formed along lines 220 as depicted in FIG. 2B.
As further shown in FIG. 2B, upon application of compressive force,
collapsible elements 203 detach from pocket former second portion
209. In some embodiments, collapsible pocket former 200 may further
include pocket former bridge 205. Pocket former bridge 205 may
couple pocket former second portion 209 to collapsible elements
203. Pocket former bridge 205 may be less thick than the pocket
former second portion 209, allowing pocket former bridge 205 to
decouple from pocket former second portion 209 when pocket former
200 is removed from concrete 23. In other embodiments, pocket
former bridge 205 may include cut or slit formed in pocket former
body 201. Pocket former bridge 205 may seal against infiltration of
concrete 23 into the interior of pocket former 200 while providing
a structurally weakened area to allow, for example and without
limitation, separation between collapsible elements 203 and pocket
former second portion 209. As depicted in FIGS. 2A, 2B, in some
embodiments, pocket former bridge 205 may be formed about at least
a portion of the perimeter of collapsible elements 203 and may
serve to allow collapsible elements 203 to, as depicted in FIG. 2B,
collapse into the interior of pocket former 200.
In some embodiments, as depicted in FIGS. 3A, 3B, pocket former 300
may include collapsible elements 303 positioned about and attached
to pocket former body 301. In some embodiments, pocket former 300
may include pocket former bridges 305. Pocket former bridges 305
are oriented longitudinally along pocket former body 301 such that,
when sufficient force is applied to pocket former bridges 305,
pocket former bridges 305 may break and pocket former body 301 may
separate into two or more longitudinal segments 306. Longitudinal
segments 306 that are attached to collapsible elements 303 may then
flex into the pocket former interior 308 of pocket former 300,
allowing removal of pocket former 300 from concrete 23. Although
depicted as symmetrically arranged about pocket former body 301,
pocket former bridges 305 may be positioned in any configuration
without deviating from the scope of this disclosure.
In some embodiments, as depicted in FIGS. 3A, 3B, collapsible
elements 303 may extend radially outward from outer surface 310 of
pocket former body 301. In some embodiments, the collapsible
elements outer surface 311 may have a curved profile. In some such
embodiments, cross-sectional angle .alpha. of collapsible elements
303 may be smaller than longitudinal angle .beta.. In some such
embodiments, because cross-sectional angle .alpha. is smaller than
longitudinal angle .beta., the retraction of collapsible elements
303 of pocket former 300 may be achieved by the rotation of pocket
former 300. Because cross-sectional angle .alpha. is smaller than
longitudinal angle .beta., collapsible elements 303 may allow
pocket former 300 to rotate within concrete 23, while adding inward
pressure on collapsible elements 303, pushing collapsible elements
303 into pocket former body 301. This inward force may cause the
breakage of pocket former bridges 305. Although described as
longitudinal, pocket former bridges 305 may be of any geometry and
pocket former bridges 305 may be utilized with curved collapsible
elements 303 without deviating from the scope of this
disclosure.
In some embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 4, pocket former 400 may
include pocket former body 401 and collapsible element 403. Pocket
former body 401 may also include flex feature 407 that allows
flexure between collapsible element 403 and pocket former body 401.
Flex feature 407 may, for example and without limitation, be a
thinner portion of pocket former body 401 than the remainder of
pocket former body 401, different material of pocket former body
401 than the rest of pocket former body 401, a hinge, a connection
or a coupling, and may allow collapsible element 403 to bend inward
without separating from pocket former body 401.
In some embodiments, collapsible elements 403 may be formed from a
different material than the rest of pocket former body 401. In some
embodiments, collapsible elements 403 may be formed together with
pocket former body 401 by, for example and without limitation,
injection molding, using a different material in the portions of
the mold corresponding to the collapsible elements 403 than the
rest of pocket former body 401. In some embodiments, collapsible
elements 403 may be formed separately from pocket former body 401
and may be coupled thereto. In some embodiments, pocket former body
401 may be formed from a flexible material. In some embodiments,
collapsible elements 403 may be formed from a rigid material, thus,
for example and without limitation, retaining the shape of
collapsible elements 403 while allowing pocket former body 401 to
flex when removed from concrete 23. In some embodiments, pocket
former body 401 may be formed from a rigid material and collapsible
elements 403 may be formed from a flexible material. In some
embodiments, a portion of pocket former body 401, such as pocket
former bridge 405 or flex fixture 407 may be formed from a flexible
material with pocket former body 401 and collapsible elements 403
formed from a rigid material.
In some embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 5, collapsible elements
503 of pocket former 500 may be springedly coupled to pocket former
body 501 by spring mechanism 507. In some such embodiments, spring
mechanism 507 may include connecting member 511 mechanically
attached or formed integrally with pivot 510 and spring 509. Spring
509 may connect pivot 510 to pocket former body 501. Spring
mechanism 507 may allow collapsible elements 503 to move radially
inward without breakage of pocket former 500. In some such
embodiments, collapsible elements 503 may be biased into the
outward position by spring 509. When removed from concrete 23,
collapsible elements 503 may collapse inward into pocket former
body 501. Once pocket former 500 is removed from concrete 23,
spring 509 may return collapsible elements 503 to the outward
position, allowing pocket former 500 to be reused.
The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that a
person of ordinary skill in the art may better understand the
aspects of the present disclosure. Such features may be replaced by
any one of numerous equivalent alternatives, only some of which are
disclosed herein. One of ordinary skill in the art should
appreciate that they may readily use the present disclosure as a
basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for
carrying out the same purposes and/or achieving the same advantages
of the embodiments introduced herein. One of ordinary skill in the
art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not
depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and that
they may make various changes, substitutions and alterations herein
without departing from the spirit and scope of the present
disclosure. Nothing herein is a definition of any word or term as
generally used by a person of ordinary skill in the art, and
nothing herein is a disavowal of any scope of any word or term as
generally used by a person of ordinary skill in the art.
* * * * *